Secrets to Making it in Crypto This Bull Market w/ Arthur0x
Secrets to Making it in Crypto This Bull Market w/ Arthur0x
20 hours ago•Taiki Maeda•@thehumblefarmer
YouTube1 hr 31 min
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Note: AI-generated summary based on third-party content. Not financial advice. Read more.
Quick Insights
  • Bitcoin (BTC) offers the clearest long-term macro thesis: consider a measured allocation if you can tolerate volatility, while treating the suggested rise in crypto’s global allocation from 1–2% toward 5% as a broad estimate—not a forecast.
  • Hyperliquid (HYPE) and NEAR were highlighted as high-conviction holdings; monitor product execution and user adoption, and weigh HYPE’s elevated valuation and regulatory uncertainty before adding.
  • Zcash (ZEC) has a privacy-driven thesis, but its sharp rally makes chasing risky; consider waiting for consolidation and watch for exchange delistings and liquidity deterioration.
Detailed Analysis

Bitcoin (BTC)

  • Arthur views Bitcoin as an established macro asset, with growing recognition among institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals.
  • He argued that concerns about government debt and currency debasement could encourage investors to allocate more to Bitcoin and other assets outside government control. He estimated crypto’s global asset-allocation share at 1–2%, and said it could rise to 5% eventually; this was a broad estimate, not a price target.
  • He believes some Bitcoin holders have moved coins into Bitcoin ETFs, partly because they consider institutional custody safer than self-custody. He also suggested Bitcoin holders rotating into Zcash may have helped drive Zcash’s rally.
  • The discussion also raised possible Bitcoin weaknesses around privacy, scalability, quantum risk, and the security budget.

Takeaways

  • The bullish case presented is primarily a long-term macro and institutional-adoption thesis, not a short-term price forecast.
  • Consider custody and portfolio allocation separately from price views: the transcript describes ETFs as an alternative custody route, not as a guaranteed safer or better investment.
  • Bitcoin’s perceived limitations were part of the stated rationale for some investors to consider Zcash as a complement or hedge.

Zcash (ZEC)

  • Zcash was one of Arthur’s stated high-conviction holdings, although he said its sharply extended price action had reduced his confidence in adding at that point.
  • He attributed much of its rally to Bitcoin holders swapping into Zcash, alongside interest in privacy. He cited a move from roughly $50 to $1,300 over about a year as an example of the scale of the rally.
  • Arthur viewed Zcash’s combination of shielded and transparent transactions as a practical middle ground: privacy users can use shielded transactions, while exchanges can continue supporting the asset.
  • He contrasted Zcash’s more technology-focused image with Monero’s and said Zcash had remained listed on major exchanges. He identified exchange delisting and the resulting loss of liquidity as significant risks for privacy coins.
  • The host highlighted Zcash’s planned Project Tachyon and its ambition to increase base-layer capacity, but Arthur did not independently endorse a specific delivery timeline or price target.
  • Arthur said the price had become very parabolic and could be due for profit-taking or consolidation.

Takeaways

  • The discussion supports researching Zcash’s privacy, adoption, exchange access, and scaling plans—but does not establish that its recent rally can continue.
  • After a large run-up, consider valuation and downside risk as carefully as the underlying thesis.
  • Monitor the specific risks mentioned: profit-taking, exchange delisting, and liquidity.

Hyperliquid (HYPE)

  • Hyperliquid was another of Arthur’s highest-conviction holdings. He praised its execution, community, continued product development, and gains in market share from centralized exchanges.
  • He said its valuation was the main concern, rather than the quality of the project. He noted that its fully diluted valuation was around $90 billion in the discussion and described a further increase—potentially surpassing the Nasdaq on that measure—as an ambitious prospect.
  • The conversation raised uncertainty about a possible second community airdrop, including the possibility that it could disappoint either existing holders or users expecting a distribution.
  • Arthur also mentioned an unresolved relationship involving Trade.xyz, but said he did not consider it a major concern. He praised Hyperliquid’s regulatory and policy efforts while acknowledging that regulatory risk had been discussed.
  • The host and Arthur described strong community alignment as an advantage. They also discussed the PER vehicle trading at a slight premium to net asset value, but did not present it as a direct recommendation.

Takeaways

  • The positive case rests on continued execution and market-share gains; the key question raised was whether growth can justify the valuation.
  • Track adoption, product performance, and token-related decisions rather than relying only on past price gains or community enthusiasm.
  • Keep the stated uncertainties in view: valuation, airdrop expectations, and regulatory developments.

NEAR (NEAR)

  • Arthur described NEAR as one of his highest-conviction holdings and said his fund had held it for an extended period, adjusting its allocation over time.
  • He praised founder Illia Polosukhin for staying engaged and continuing to execute through difficult market conditions.
  • The discussion described NEAR’s current direction as involving AI, including NEAR Intents. Arthur argued that crypto’s emphasis on privacy and encryption could complement AI by helping protect users’ data.
  • He also noted that building a layer 1 is difficult: unlike many applications, a blockchain may lack a clear, universally accepted measure of success. He said NEAR’s leadership had nevertheless maintained a clear direction.

Takeaways

  • The thesis discussed combines founder execution, continued development, and a potential crypto-and-AI use case.
  • Assess whether NEAR’s products gain users and demonstrate practical value; an AI association alone is not evidence of adoption.
  • The transcript offers a positive view but no price target or specific investment timeline.

Ethereum (ETH)

  • Ethereum was discussed as a source of disappointment relative to earlier expectations, including a widely held $10,000 aspiration that was not reached in the period being discussed.
  • The speakers questioned changes to Ethereum’s layer-2 scaling vision and said the shift created uncertainty for teams building in that ecosystem.
  • They also said DeFi hacks and exploits had damaged confidence across the sector.

Takeaways

  • The discussion raises questions about roadmap consistency and the outlook for projects built around Ethereum’s earlier scaling plans.
  • For Ethereum-related investments, evaluate how any project depends on the current roadmap and whether it can adapt if priorities change.
  • The speakers’ criticism was not accompanied by a specific ETH price target or an explicit recommendation to sell.

Synthetix (SNX), Aave (AAVE), and Uniswap (UNI)

  • Arthur recalled investing in early DeFi protocols, including Synthetix, Aave, and Uniswap, and said his positioning during DeFi Summer helped his fund capture returns.
  • Synthetix was his detailed example: he said it traded below a $20 million market capitalization at one point and fell to about 50% below his average entry before later recovering.
  • His conviction depended partly on the project’s sector potential and the founding team’s willingness to keep building through the downturn. He cautioned that the same approach can fail with projects that are abandoned or whose teams do not deliver.

Takeaways

  • The lesson offered was to assess both a project’s fundamentals and the team’s continued execution—not simply to hold an asset because it has fallen.
  • A large decline does not by itself establish value or recovery potential; the speakers explicitly recognized that some projects never recover.
  • The transcript does not provide current recommendations for these tokens.

SushiSwap (SUSHI)

  • Arthur described SushiSwap as a successful contrarian trade. He said he bought around $0.80 when sentiment was weak and that it later reached about $20.
  • He characterized the appeal as a possible comeback opportunity when the project looked undervalued, while offering this as a historical example rather than a current view.

Takeaways

  • The example illustrates the potential upside—and uncertainty—of investing in a distressed project.
  • Do not treat a past recovery as evidence that another struggling token will follow the same path.

Terra (LUNA)

  • Arthur said his fund invested $10 million in LUNA in a private round in December 2021, its largest single investment in a non-liquid asset at that time.
  • He said the investment case included Terra’s growth, the perceived potential of its stablecoin, and the 20% yield associated with Anchor. Terra later collapsed.
  • He said the fund had not held money in Anchor, which limited its exposure to that part of the ecosystem, but the LUNA investment itself was lost.

Takeaways

  • The account highlights the risks of concentrated private investments and high-yield stablecoin strategies.
  • Strong growth expectations and prominent supporters did not prevent a severe loss; examine the sustainability and structure of a project’s yield and token economics.

Solana (SOL), Avalanche (AVAX), and Fantom (FTM)

  • Arthur said these layer-1 tokens led a major rally in 2021 while DeFi tokens underperformed on a relative basis.
  • He used that period to illustrate how investment leadership can shift between market themes and sectors.

Takeaways

  • The discussion supports tracking changes in market leadership rather than assuming a previously successful theme will remain dominant.
  • No current outlook or recommendation for these tokens was provided.

BNB and PancakeSwap (CAKE)

  • Arthur said his fund missed the BNB Chain rally and the associated gains in PancakeSwap during the 2021 cycle.
  • He recalled that PancakeSwap and other newly listed projects rose rapidly, contributing to pressure to chase outperforming assets.

Takeaways

  • The example highlights the risk of FOMO after a rally: a missed gain is not, by itself, a reason to buy late.
  • Compare an asset’s current valuation and fundamentals with its prospects rather than trying to make up for a missed trade.

Monero (XMR)

  • Monero was discussed as a privacy-coin comparison to Zcash. Arthur said privacy coins can face exchange-delisting risk and that losing major exchange access can severely impair liquidity.
  • He characterized Monero’s market image as less technology-focused than Zcash’s; this was his assessment, not a claim about Monero’s technical merits.

Takeaways

  • For privacy-focused tokens, consider the practical effect of exchange access and liquidity alongside the privacy thesis.
  • The transcript does not provide a price outlook or recommendation for Monero.

VVV and Lighter

  • Arthur mentioned VVV as an honorable mention, describing it as a privacy-inference project. He also said that a research-related incident involving AI may have contributed to interest in privacy-focused AI projects.
  • Lighter was described as having rebounded roughly 4–5 times from a bottom. The speakers said a thesis involving a Robinhood collaboration needed to be reassessed after the expected announcement did not occur.
  • Neither token was presented as a core holding in the discussion.

Takeaways

  • These examples reflect interest in privacy-focused AI and trading infrastructure, but the discussion provides limited detail for evaluating either project.
  • Treat the Lighter collaboration thesis as uncertain; the speakers explicitly said it deserved a discount after the announcement did not happen.

Pump.fun and Meme Coins

  • Arthur said he had not expected meme coins to regain attention so quickly and did not claim a strong view on the sector.
  • The host noted that meme-coin trading can be a business for platforms such as Pump.fun, but neither speaker offered a specific investment recommendation.
  • The discussion emphasized that each crypto cycle can reward different strategies and that newer investors may be more familiar with meme-coin trading than with earlier DeFi themes.

Takeaways

  • The transcript offers no clear fundamental thesis or price target for meme coins.
  • Distinguish a platform’s trading activity from the investment prospects of individual tokens, and account for the possibility of rapid losses.

Crypto, DeFi, AI, and Investment Approach

  • Arthur believed the market had entered a new cycle, but said the rally appeared under-positioned: many crypto investors had left or moved assets into traditional finance, and he did not yet see broad FOMO.
  • He said strong assets—including Hyperliquid, Zcash, and NEAR—had risen with relatively shallow pullbacks, which he interpreted as consistent with limited investor positioning.
  • His investment approach emphasized asset selection over precise market timing. He said the right mid-cap assets may reward investors who hold through volatility, but stressed that this does not apply to every token.
  • For a hypothetical investor seeking to grow $100,000 to $1 million, he suggested focusing on roughly three high-conviction projects and aiming for multiple gains rather than expecting a single 10x. He also cautioned against excessive concentration: he said typical positions might be 10–20%, with 30–40% reserved for unusually limited circumstances.
  • He said a crypto portfolio might hold 5–10 positions when few projects appear investable, while warning that overconcentration can make it harder to withstand negative news or rotate into better opportunities.
  • Risks cited across the discussion included hacks and exploits, unsafe custody, exchange delistings, regulatory uncertainty, counterparty and fund-structure problems, and sharp drawdowns.

Takeaways

  • Use a repeatable process to assess a project’s team, sector, product progress, and market data; the speakers described combining research, industry conversations, and third-party checks.
  • Decide in advance how much portfolio risk to allocate to crypto, and consider diversification and position sizing rather than relying on conviction alone.
  • Reassess holdings as facts change. The discussion’s central approach was to favor selective asset ownership, while recognizing that market timing, continued execution, and risk management still matter.
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Video Description
Arthur Cheong discusses his crypto journey from "trenching" in the SNX discord in the deep 2018-19 bear market, running his fund up to 9 figs in 2020-21, drawing down 90%, to where he is now. Arthur's story is one of resilience and grit, and resembles how anyone can make it in crypto as long as you work hard and believe in yourself. We discuss traits that make up a great trader, lessons from hard times, and how a retail investor can "make it" this cycle. Guest's Twitter/X: https://x.com/arthur0x Recorded October 5, 2026 in Singapore for Token2049 Join the HFA Premium Discord: https://whop.com/humble-farmer-army Free Newsletter: https://hfaresearch.substack.com/ New Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FarmerTaiki Taiki's Twitter: https://twitter.com/TaikiMaeda2 HFA Research Twitter: https://twitter.com/HFAresearch PODCASTS: Crypto Market Wizards: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6bwqqJO_txgGQySGK5-HSuTPp0LjeGqA Steady Lads: https://www.youtube.com/@0xSteadyLads Timestamps: 0:00 Bull Market or Bear Market? 3:40 Running 8 Figs to 9 Figs in 2020-21 11:57 Drawing Down 90% in 2022 23:12 Bull Market Playbook 33:15 ZEC and Bitcoin 41:30 Is HYPE Overvalued? 48:50 Why NEAR is this Cycle’s Winner 56:00 “You’re Only as Good as Your Last Trade” 1:01:38 Are Great Traders Born or Made? 1:07:38 Identifying Edge & Position Sizing 1:15:22 $100k to $1M and $1M to $10M 1:21:00 How to Make it This Cycle MY VALUES: QUALITY OVER QUANTITY A lot of content creators are incentivized to pump out content for ad revenue. Taiki has never run YouTube ads on his channel because he believes in creating quality content, not monetizing your eyeballs via ads. On top of not running any YouTube ads, Taiki has never participated in a paid promotion, a channel sponsorship, or even a CEX ref-link. PREMIUM RESEARCH HFAResearch offers a Premium subscription. This is not meant to be a "copy trading" service or a “pump and dump” signal group. Taiki publishes two premium videos and an AMA livestream every week. Think of Taiki as your personal research analyst that keeps you on top of the markets so you can focus on what you do best. You also gain access to a private discord with the largest premium DeFi community. There, Taiki also gives frequent updates as well as real-time analysis on current events in crypto.
About Taiki Maeda
Taiki Maeda

Taiki Maeda

By @thehumblefarmer

Former professional poker player turned crypto degen. I was one of the first YouTubers to cover yield farming in 2020, and now I specialize in airdrop farming as well as high conviction, thesis-driven trades. I also run Humble Farmer Army, a Premium Discord where I post three videos a week covering market updates, trade ideas, and my thoughts on the market. The North Star of this channel is my dedication to transparency and authenticity. I may not get everything right, but I always stay true to myself and don't take myself too seriously. I do not run YouTube ads or have sponsors on the channel since I believe in quality over quantity.